On the Origin of Abominations
by Namazukage
Summary: The Doctor, Rose, and Mickey explore a research facility when genetically modified animals threaten their lives.
1. Scales and Fangs

**On the Origin of Abominations**

_Chapter 1: Scales and Fangs_

The TARDIS materialized in a building with sterile white walls. The Doctor was the first to exit, followed by a wary Mickey.

"What if this is a secure facility and we're trespassing?" Mickey asked.

"Deffry Vale School was a secure facility and that didn't stop you," Rose pointed out.

"We knew that something wrong was going on there," Mickey defended himself. "And it was kind of on our turf."

"Well, something wrong might be happening here," the Doctor said. He was looking through a large window into another room.

Rose and Mickey approached and were quickly troubled by the animals they saw.

In plastic cages were cats with various deformities. Rose noticed one cat with four additional tails on its back, aligned with its spine. Another cat's brown legs resembled human arms and hands. A third cat had green reptilian skin.

The trio also saw what they assumed were dogs. A few had yellow eyes or long canine teeth that protruded from their jaws, dripping with saliva. All these dog-like creatures had feathery tails and cone-shape ears.

From some of the equipment in the room, the Doctor concluded that they were in a research facility.

"Hey!" someone called, a humanoid with a bald head and bronze skin. "What are you doing?"

The Doctor held up his psychic paper when he recognized the man as a Jetchmavan. "Hello, I'm the Doctor and this is Rose and Mickey. We're from the Planetary Congress of Science. We're just doing a routine standards and codes inspection. Well, I'm doing an inspection. Mickey and Rose are students learning about zoological and technological interactions."

"Why are you three here alone?"

"Inspections are more thorough without interference," Mickey quickly replied. He glanced at Rose before looking back at the Jetchmavan. "Even us students know that."

"Given what we've seen, however," Rose said. "We would like to discuss these with someone."

"I'll summon the project leader."

"Thank you," the Doctor responded.

"So, do you know where we are?" Rose asked.

"It's a planet called Jetchma, 48th century, I'd reckon."

"That was a native?" Mickey asked.

"Yeah, a Jetchmavan."

"But these look like genetically engineered cats and dogs," Rose pointed out. "What are cats and dogs doing on another planet?"

"By this time, there are human settlements on this planet," the Doctor answered.

"He looks like a human," Mickey pointed out when a man approached them.

"I'm Zall Hushel. Your credentials, please?"

The Doctor showed Zall his psychic paper.

"All right," Zall conceded. "What is the scope of your review?"

"It's whatever we want," Rose answered. "And in addition to our investigation, we have questions, starting with what is happening to those cats and dogs."

"It's a de-evolution project. Since their introductions to Jetchma, many animals have evolved to take forms unlike their ancestors on Earth. We are trying to change them back."

"Evolution is a natural process," the Doctor said. "Why would you want to subvert it?"

"The current forms are not desirable to us or the Jetchmavans."

"And this is what you created?" Rose asked. "These are de-evolved cats and dogs?"

"Yes," Zall answered, looking at Rose suspiciously. "Shouldn't that be obvious to someone in your position?"

"These don't look like the cats and dogs from Earth," Mickey interrupted. "And they don't look healthy."

"Progress takes time. Failures are inevitable and necessary outcomes along the way. Now, shall we get this review started or do you have more questions?"

The Doctor gestured for Zall to lead the way.

Zall showed the Doctor, Mickey, and Rose more animals that originated from Earth that had been genetically engineered to resemble the forms they once took. He also showed them two laboratories.

"How many animal species from Earth are on Jetchma?" Mickey asked Zall.

"Twenty-nine. Our research focuses on twenty-three of them."

"Butterflies were brought here first," the Doctor informed his companions. "I haven't seen anything resembling butterflies, not what they used to look like or what they look like now."

Zall led the three into another room and ushered them in, staying out.

"What do you keep here?" Mickey asked.

Zall closed the sliding glass door, effectively trapping the Doctor, Rose, and Mickey in the room.

"What are you doing?" Rose asked.

"Who are you?"

"I explained to you that we are standards and codes inspectors," the Doctor answered.

"I don't believe you," Zall countered. "You've asked too many questions that give away your lack of knowledge."

"Mickey and I are students," Rose answered. "The Doctor is the expert."

"I don't believe that, either."

The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver. Zall noticed it and pressed a button to lower a glass wall.

"We have security mechanisms in place to handle sonic technology. Who are you?"

The Doctor hesitated, so Zall left.

The Doctor, Rose, and Mickey walked around the room, contemplating why Zall had led them there. They navigated through a small maze of partial walls and large columns.

Rose gasped as she saw a large lizard curled up. It was slightly larger than her bed, though its closed eyes seemed tiny, around the size of a normal anole's eyes on Earth. The lizard's tail was very long and seemed to move independently. Even as the lizard slept, its tail slithered around the floor.

Mickey approached Rose and saw the lizard.

"Doctor," Mickey called quietly. "This is probably why Zall locked us in here."

The Doctor joined Rose and Mickey. "It must be dangerous. We'll keep quiet and keep looking for a way out before that wakes up."

The Doctor continued scanning. Soon, warm air flowed into the room, accompanied by the sound of a pump.

"Did you do that?" Rose asked the Doctor.

"No, wasn't me. It could just be the heating system."

"It could be Zall," Mickey commented as he looked towards the lizard.

The Doctor stopped scanning as he noticed the lizard's tail start to slow down. He aimed his screwdriver at a vent, hoping to contain the heat. Rose inched towards the lizard cautiously until it opened its tiny eyes. The lizard quickly turned towards Rose. Mickey pulled Rose away as the lizard opened its mouth, revealing dagger-shaped fangs. The lizard hissed and raised its scales uprights as it leapt towards Mickey and Rose. After the first time Rose and Mickey were able to dodge the lizard, the lizard tried to catch the Doctor in its jaws.

The lizard continued to alternate its target while the Doctor kept from Mickey and Rose to divide the lizard's attention. The three were able to dodge the lizard a few times. They were also able to dodge the fragments that flew around when the lizard crashed into two columns. However, they knew that they would tire out soon.

The Doctor finally took out his sonic screwdriver again. He aimed it at the lizard and activated it before joining Rose and Mickey.

"What are you doing?" Mickey asked. He noticed that the lizard wavered for a short instant before becoming aggressive again.

"Making it angrier," the Doctor replied.

"Is that a good idea?" Rose asked.

The lizard charged at the three.

"Down!" the Doctor cried, pushing Rose and Mickey away.

The lizard crashed into the wall, breaking it down, and continued into another wall. It entered a room that housed many of the re-engineered animals that the group had seen. Seeing easy prey, the lizard began to feast.

Rose and Mickey watched the lizard and saw that it was occupied. They then looked at each other and the Doctor, who was groaning on the floor.

"Doctor!" Rose cried.

"I'm all right. Just a break or two."

Rose and Mickey helped the Doctor up. They saw that the lizard was still eating, so they slowly walked back to the TARDIS and passed the console towards a medical room. They heard creaking behind them as they walked.

"Mickey, get the door," Rose said as she continued helping the Doctor.

...

Mickey later checked on the Doctor.

"How are you holding up?" Mickey.

"Fine," the Doctor answered. "I ran out of nanogenes; otherwise, I'd be fully recovered. I'll be out and about tomorrow. You should get some rest, too. That looks like blood on you."

Mickey looked down and saw red on his shirt. He nodded and left to his room.

...

Rose was sleeping in her room when tapping sounds woke her up. She thought nothing of it at first until she thought she heard breathing. She shot up into a sitting position and looked around. A small crash drew her attention.

Rose reached for her lamp, but found it missing. She instead saw an obese squirrel with glowing yellow eyes starting at her. Rose climbed out of bed and reached for the door, which she realized was ajar. Despite her crashed lamp, she was able to make out basic shapes.

Before she reached the door, Rose felt a hand on her shoulder. She gasped at first. "Mickey, what are you – "

As Rose turned, she saw one of the cats with legs that resembled human arms and hands. She screamed and ran out.

Rose ran down the hallway and crashed into Mickey.

"What's going on?" Mickey asked.

"There are two of those animals in my room!"

Rose ran down the hall to get the Doctor, who was slowly walking towards her already.

"Did you say there were animals in your room?" the Doctor asked.

"Come on!" Rose grabbed the Doctor and headed to her room. When they approached, they saw Mickey exit with the cat in his arms and the squirrel on his right shoulder.

"Sorry, I thought I closed and locked my door. I didn't think they were getting out," Mickey explained.

"You brought them in here?" Rose asked.

"They were right outside the TARDIS, bleeding. I didn't want to leave them to die."

Only then did Rose notice bandage wraps on the two animals.

"Do you want to . . . keep them?" the Doctor hesitantly asked, strongly hinting at the answer he wanted to hear.

"Nah, you didn't get to keep Arthur. I figured you could just drop these two somewhere safe when they're healed."

The Doctor scanned the two. "Their wounds are superficial. They'll be fine. They just need to rest."

"They scared me," Rose commented.

"Yeah, I know. Sorry about that," Mickey responded. "I'll make sure they can't get out this time."

Mickey took the animals to his room while Rose and the Doctor returned to theirs as well.

...

The next morning, Mickey joined the Doctor at the console.

"Mickey! Do me a favor and push down that yellow lever, would you?"

Mickey obliged as Rose walked in.

"Morning," Mickey said.

"Hi."

"Thanks, Mickey," the Doctor said.

"Are we still on the same planet?" Rose asked.

"Yeah," the Doctor answered. "After everything that happened, I didn't think we should set off yet."

Rose approached the door. "Do you think they handled the lizard yet?" She gasped as she opened the door.

Mickey ran to her. He saw that the building was mostly dark. It was also a mess. Broken glass and fragments of walls and furniture were scattered throughout the floor.

"What happened?" Rose asked as the Doctor joined them.

Mickey squinted. "Is that someone over there?" he said, pointing to a figure lying on the ground.

Rose ran to the man. She didn't see the shadow that descended upon her.

"Rose!" Mickey cried, as he saw the lizard return. It lunged towards Rose and the prostrate man.


	2. Legs and Pincers

**On the Origin of Abominations**

_Chapter 2: Legs and Pincers**  
**_

Mickey sprinted out of the TARDIS. He grabbed a desk and hit the lizard with it. The lizard, however, was unfazed by the attack and took a swipe at Mickey, who landed on his back and hit his head.

The Doctor aimed his screwdriver at the lizard's feet. After a few seconds, the floor collapsed, sending the lizard down one level.

Rose smirked at the Doctor before turning back to the man to look at his condition.

Cool air started to flow into the area.

"You turned on the air conditioning?" Rose asked.

"It's going to get very cold in this building," the Doctor said as he leaned down and examined the man. "What's your name?"

"Rodrack."

The Doctor helped Rodrack up. "Mickey, help me get him into the TARDIS. Rodrack, is anyone else alive?"

"I heard there is a group on the eighth floor, but I don't have confirmation."

"Did that single lizard do all this?" Rose asked.

Rodrack nodded. "Someone decided that de-evolution wasn't enough. Their experiments led to other projects."

The Doctor and Mickey set Rodrack on the TARDIS floor.

"Mickey, take care of him and check yourself," the Doctor told him. "We'll look for the others."

Denied a chance to even respond, Mickey helped Rodrack up and guided him to a medical room.

"What about the people on the outside?" Rose asked as she and the Doctor ran to a stairwell and down half a flight of stairs.

"A place like this probably goes under lockdown in an event like this. They're protective of their proprietary progress."

The Doctor and Rose stopped when they saw the rear and back of a large rodent. It was white with feathery fur. The pair continued on until the rodent noticed them and turned, revealing a fish-like head and bloody mouth.

The sight surprised the Doctor and Rose.

"Scavenger, must be," the Doctor said.

"Why are you so sure?"

"Because it would have attacked by now? I'm really just hoping."

The Doctor and Rose walked warily by, with the Doctor pointing his sonic screwdriver at the rodent as a precaution. They also kept an ear out for the lizard. When they felt comfortable, they dashed down two levels to the eighth floor.

The Doctor waved his sonic screwdriver around on the eighth floor, which led to many clicks, and then stopped. He then heard another click.

"That'd be someone locking the door."

The Doctor, followed by Rose, ran to the door and unlocked it. He found three people and two Jetchmavans hiding. All were surprised to see the Doctor and Rose, except for one human who was crouching and facing the wall.

"Hello!" the Doctor said.

"Is it safe?" one of the people asked.

"No, that lizard is still here, up one floor," Rose answered.

"The building is sealed," the Jetchmavan said. "Our best response is to remain in hiding."

"Until you've died?" the Doctor asked. "It'll be quicker with the sharp decline in the temperature. Anyway, I've got a ship that can take us to safety. It can bypass the building's seal."

"Come on," Rose said.

The group slowly got up except the crouching man. A few others looked at him with apprehension. Rose approached him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"It's okay," Rose said, calmly. "We can get out of here."

The man slowly stood up, still facing the wall. The body of a cat with tails on its back fell onto the ground, limp and bloody. The man turned around, revealing a profuse amount of blood on his lips.

Rose stepped back in concern. "What's going on?"

"We don't know," a Jetchmavan answered.

Two people suddenly gasped as they saw the lizard approaching slowly. It looked weak and tired, but still ready to pounce until Mickey appeared with a thin metal beam and began to strike the lizard. A Jetchmavan grabbed a small desk and joined Mickey in the assault. Eventually, the lizard lost consciousness.

"That didn't take much after all," the second Jetchmavan said.

"The decline in temperature weakened it significantly," the Doctor informed them. "Who are you?"

"I'm Hugon," the second Jetchmavan replied. "That's Panken. The humans are Julia, Telgen, and Revera. Who are you?"

"I'm the Doctor. This is Rose and that's Mickey. We were just making a stop." The Doctor approached Telgen, the man with the bloody mouth. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Telgen responded coldly as he approached the lizard and began to examine it. "Lots of internal bleeding, some likely brain damage. He won't live much longer."

"Are you a veterinarian?" Rose asked while Panken headed towards a computer.

"I'm a geneticist. This lizard was my project."

"You created it?"

"I was the lead on the project."

Panken slammed her fists into a table. "The lockdown is still in effect."

"Tell them about the other project you were working on," Julia told Telgen angrily. "That's why we're still in lockdown, isn't it?"

"What are you talking about?" Panken asked.

"Lockdown protocols go into effect when there is a major security breach, but as a precaution, it doesn't get lifted until all potential security breaches are contained," Julia explained. "That includes certain creatures even if they weren't involved in the initial security breach."

"What else have you created?" Panken asked Telgen.

Hugon started to shake and pointed towards some rustling. The group turned and saw the shadow of a large and long arthropod. It stood only a few feet off the ground, but the silhouette of large mandibles alarmed everyone.

"That's a huge centipede," Mickey pointed out as he began to run.

Everyone else joined the retreat.

"Was this also an attempt at devolving animals into their Earth forms?" the Doctor asked.

"You failed!" Mickey yelled.

"I know that now," Telgen yelled back.

"How do you turn a centipede into something bigger?" Mickey asked.

"Oh, they're much bigger than that in the Jetchma forests," the Doctor said. "But they're harmless in the wild!"

Rose looked back. "It's gone."

The group stopped.

"Where did it go?" Revera asked. "Wasn't it chasing us?"

"Yes," Telgen said. "That was definitely predatory behavior."

Revera suddenly screamed as she was pulled up to the ceiling. The centipede quickly devoured her while hanging effortlessly.

Blood dropped from the centipede's fangs and landed on Telgen's face.

The group ran again and the reached the TARDIS safely, passing another rodent-like animal with a bloody mouth.

"What is this?" Julia asked.

"This is the TARDIS," Rose answered. "It's the Doctor's ship."

"You said you could take us away. Is this what you intend to use?" Julia asked.

"Yes, but we can't leave yet."

"Why not?" Telgen asked.

"The better question is what happened to the blood on your face," the Doctor responded.

"I . . . cleaned it off."

"With your tongue?" Hugon asked accusatorily.

"Be quiet!" Telgen told him.

"Did you ever experiment on yourself?" the Doctor asked Telgen.

"Of course not."

"There was that thing we saw," Rose said. "You said it was a scavenger. It was part fish, part rodent. And there's that thing outside the TARDIS."

"It was a small capybara that looked like it had been devouring meat," the Doctor said. "Did your experiments do that?"

"No," Telgen responded.

"Then there's something else going on, something affecting your behavior and those rodents' behaviors."

"If it has affected Telgen," Panken said, "We should not expose him to environments outside the lockdown."

"No, we shouldn't," Julia agreed.

"I am fine," Telgen defended himself.

"That's no longer yours to decide," Panken responded.

"So what could have caused this blood thirst?" Julia asked.

"It could be anything, but it's only affected rodents and Telgen so far."

"I had this mate that kept two hamsters," Mickey said. "When one died, the other ate its brain or something."

"Something in the blood?" the Doctor posited. He scanned Telgen with his sonic screwdriver. "One of the first animals the lizard ate when it escaped was a dog with long teeth."

"It could have cut the lizard," Julia realized. "Do you believe it's the lizard's blood?"

"It's the only viable theory I have right now," the Doctor answered.

"Surely Telgen has been exposed to much of the lizard's blood in his research," Panken offered.

"The lizard bleeds onto other animals and the rodents ingest some of the remains," Hugon summarized. "They could all be contaminated. How do we contain all of them?"

"We still have the centipede to contain, too," Julia said.

"We get the centipede to devour all the animals out there," Rodrack said as he slowly walked to the group.

"You're alive!" Panken exclaimed.

"I barely feel alive," Rodrack answered.

"Back to the more pressing matter," Hugon said. "How do we get the centipede to devour everything out there?"

"We inject a sample of animals we can find with an appetite stimulant. After the centipede eats one, it will become compelled to binge," Rodrack answered.

"We'll should also add a slow acting poison to eventually kill the centipede," Julia added. "A little in each animal."

"I can synthesize a poison here," the Doctor said, "but the stimulant is going to be harder to make. It needs to be specific to the centipede and the animals."

"There's a lab on this floor with some of the centipede's biological samples," Telgen finally said. "I can go fetch them."

"I'll go with you," Panken offered.

"So will I," Hugon added.

While the Doctor was in a lab in the TARDIS creating a poison, Rose and Mickey fetched drinks and snacks for Rodrack and Julia. Soon, the Doctor returned as well as Telgen, Panken, and Hugon.

"We were able to synthesize the stimulant in the lab," Hugon said. He held out fifteen syringes.

The Doctor took the syringes and added drops of the poison into each one.

"We should split into groups," Panken suggested. "I will work with Telgen. Hugon and Julia will be partners. You three can be one group. Here are three communicators so that we can communicate openly at all times. Rodrack, you should stay here to recuperate."

"Of course," Rodrack answered.

"Any signs of the centipede out there?" Mickey asked.

"No," Hugon answered.

"Each group should take two levels," Julia suggested.

With the exception of Rodrack, everyone exited the TARDIS and dispersed throughout the building.

The Doctor, Rose, and Mickey looked for rodents on the eleventh floor.

"There's one," Mickey said.

The three cornered the rodent until Mickey was able to grab it and the Doctor was able to inject it. They then continued to another part of the floor.

A scream over the communicator alarmed the three.

"That sounded like Panken," Rose said.

"She and Telgen are on the fourth floor," the Doctor said.

"Come on," Mickey said. "We might seven levels up, but I still want to finish this quickly."

The three found and injected two more rodents before ascending to the twelfth floor. Eventually, they, Julia, and Hugon returned to the TARDIS.

"I mobilized a life sign detector," the Doctor said, holding out a small machine. "This will tell us when everything out there is dead. It's already showing a decline."

"We should give it one night," Julia suggested.

"Mickey can show you where some extra rooms are," the Doctor said.

Later, Mickey visited Rose in her room. "You all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just feel bad about the innocent animals out there."

"I know the Doctor does, too. But if they got out, who knows what the contamination would do."

"I know, but that doesn't make me feel better."

"How about this?" Mickey held out the obese squirrel. "Do you want to hold him?"

Rose smiled. "No, but I'll pet him."

"The Doctor said that he and the cat aren't contaminated."

...

The next morning, the Doctor confirmed the absence of life signs in the building. Along with Mickey and Rose, he bade farewell to the three survivors.

"Tell the people and the Jetchmavans out there what happened," the Doctor said.

"We will," Rodrack replied. "The Planetary Congress of Science will no doubt ensure proper regulation and codes for biological research in the future."

The Doctor closed the doors and set the TARDIS off to another planet.

"Nothing sentient lives here now," the Doctor said as he, Rose, and Mickey walked along a creek in a vast plain. "Humans won't arrive for another eight decades. The cat and squirrel will be fine here. There's plenty to eat."

Mickey set the cat and squirrel down on the ground. The Doctor, Rose, and Mickey watched the two run off in separate directions before returning to the TARDIS.

...

That's the end. Thanks for reading.


End file.
